Personal Hell
by Jacelynn
Summary: The last chapter is up, sorry if you don't like the ending, but I felt that's how it should be.
1. Chapter 1

I felt like I was trapped in a bad rerun of The Brady Bunch. Playing happy family was a nice idea, but impossible. The starting fact being that this wasn't even my family. I was forced against my will to become their adoptee; more like their pawn in the power struggle my newly discovered vampire world seemed engrossed in. Even if my new "guardian", Charles Force had taken me under honest intentions, the fact still remained that my temporary sister was the devil in designer labels and I was hopelessly in lust with my temporary brother. This all made things rather uncomfortable at the ol' Force Penthouse.

"Watch it troll."

Mimi hissed at me as she pushed past me, slamming the cedar sauna door behind her.

"Fine. I wasn't going in there anyways."

I heard her teasing giggle from behind the door. You'd think that after you save someone's life and future lives, that they might be a little nicer to you; not Mimi Force though. She hated me now more than ever, now that she had to share her brother under the same roof as me.

I sulked back to my room, my only haven in this big unfamiliar place that I refused to ever acknowledge as home. In the beginning I had hoped that my grandfather would come and take me back to the home that I grew up in. But his new found position in The Committee left him little free time; and eventually he resigned this high fashion hell to be the best place for me. My only other hope refused to wake up and rescue me, but I kept a vigil in the back of my mind.

"Ignore her."

The one voice I tried to ignore more than any others, wafted out of the library as I passed the open door.

"Yeah sure," I mumbled back without even slowing down.

I shut the door behind me once I made it to my room. My main goal in life had become to upset Mimi and her mother as much as possible with my decorating choices. I had channeled my inner rock star and trashed the room in true hotel fashion.

"Schuyler, can I come in?"

A quiet voice spoke while knocking.

"No"

"Too bad," he said as he turned the knob and stepped in anyways.

It wasn't like I hadn't expected him to do it.

"I know it isn't easy for you here."

Jack pulled one of my hideous orange, faux fur chairs next to where I was sitting on the bed. I just ignored him.

"It's not easy on me either, you know?"

"Right, I can imagine."

I rolled my eyes, picturing the way Mimi seemed to glue herself to him whenever I was in the room.

"It's all this…you!"

"What did I do?"

"Everything was set, so simple, my other half...and then you came along this cycle and nothing's clear anymore."

"Sorry for being born," I said sarcastically.

Did he really expect me to be sorry for preventing him from a relationship that, in red blood eyes, would be considered very improper with his twin sister?

"Don't be…ever!"

He smiled at me. I hated when he melted away my stubborn shield like that.

"I'm glad you're here."

I wasn't sure if he meant cosmically or in the house, but I had a hunch it was both.

And with that he left my room. I flung myself on the bed; my too thin body barely made a dent in my piles of thrift store crocheted afghans.

I don't know how long I had been staring at the intricate swirls on the crown molding when another knock sounded at my door.

"Go away!" I shouted.

"It's me, "announced a voice I'd been waiting to hear.

I flung the door open and threw my arms around the familiar body.

"You o.k. Sky?"

"No"

I could never lie to Oliver. Since I moved in here I had shared every torturous minute of life in the force household. He walked me back in side the room without loosening the comforting embrace he held me in, and kicked the door shut with his foot.

I buried my head into his shoulder, letting my long hair fall like a curtain around me. My tears were quickly forming a wet mark across his shirt, but he never flinched. I was so thankful for Oliver; my best friend, guardian and source of constant strength through all the craziness my life has seen. I had only recently found out his official status of helper and guardian; part of a long line of conduits to our family. When I had first moved in with the Forces they had forbidden my red blood best friend from visiting me in their blue blood exclusiveness. But once they learned that I had made him my human familiar, they allowed him to visit; if only for my source of nourishment.

"I hate it here so much, Oliver. I just wish everyday that I will wake up and be back home drinking tea with Cordelia. But I never will. I am trapped here." I gestured wildly around the room, as if to exhibit my prison.

He pulled back and lifted my tear soaked face. Even just his warm smile did wonders in comforting me.

"This won't be forever Schuyler and I will always be here with you."

His hand raked through my hair and his scent began to tease my nose. It had been a week since my last feed and Oliver was calling to me.

"I know that look, you go too long between feedings, you know it's not good for you."

Most vampires never went more than a day or two, but sucking life blood from my best friend was different than a stranger, or three handsome foreign boy toys, as were Mimi's familiars du jour. Every time I pierced Oliver and let his blood revitalize me his mind filled me too. It opened his thoughts and memories, like a voyeuristic key. But he never seemed to mind; in fact physically he enjoyed it. He had described it more than once as full body ecstasy; to which I would always blush at the idea of me causing him to feel like that.

I could feel Oliver's cheek; warm and pulsing against my own. He leaned down and kissed my neck; a tease to entice me to bite him. Gentle kisses trailed up my jaw and paused at me mouth just as my resistance faltered and I sunk my sharp fangs into his flesh like butter. He moaned; feeling no pain. We fell back onto the bed, not loosing the connection.


	2. Chapter 2

Simon slept peacefully, he always smiled while he slept after the recarge he gave me. When he woke up much later was the part I hated most about my new living arrangements, watching him leave. He was only allowed to visit every couple days and for the soul purpose of being the only human familiar I would agree to take. With a pain in my heart, that I was sadly growing accustomed to, I watched my best friend walk away.

Three days later

Tonight was the first vision I have had in over a month. My grandfather had suggested that my past nightmares were from my blood being weak and needing to feed, but Oliver seemed to be the answer, and until tonight he was. This was more a dream than my usual lightheaded spells.

The house was quiet; Mimi was joining her mother in Dubai while we were on summer break from school. I had been invited, but turned it down; much to Mimi's relief. Truth be told I would rather face down one hundred silver bloods than spend more time than necessary with any member of the Force family. Charles was, as usual, away on business. So that left me awkwardly alone with the last remaining member of the Force family. MY avoidance of him wasn't subtle; more than once he had tried to talk with me, but there was always something terribly important to do in my room a.k.a. crash on my bed and watch mindless movies. The movies were interrupted every five minutes, on schedule, by the ring of Jack's cell phone; Mimi checking up on him. She hated the idea of leaving him alone in the house with me, but he had his own summer adventure rafting trip he was leaving for next week. She managed to placate herself by calling at regular five minute intervals to make sure thst I didn't have my unworthy half-blood lips on his. The faces on the tv screen kept going in and out of focus as my eyelids kept dropping shut. Eventually sleep won out and I was once again in the same familiar dream I'd had so many times before. There I was sitting beside my mother's hospital bed, as I often did in real life. Her face beautifully frozen in a defiant protest. I suppose some would find it romantic, her choosing to suspend life in this cycle rather than going onto the next without my father, but I just thought how selfish she was to leave me for my whole life; to not wake up when I needed her. Then she does awake. Her translucent green eyes blink up at me, as vibrant as ever. She smiles at me as if we have never been apart. Suddenly, the dream feels real, no longer like a dream, but like I am actually there. The face looking up at me changes; no longer Allegra, but Bliss. I gasp in surprise at my friend lying in the hospital bed in my mother's place. She just smiles at me and I began to feel comfortable again. Someone is behind me; all around me. I can't see them but I can feel them there. In the bed, Bliss' smile fades away. Her eyes shut tight; as if she is in pain. Her body begins to thrash; her red hair whipping around her head like wild red snakes. She grips hold of the bed sheets until her knuckles turn white. At first her cries come low and pleading, slowly becoming more desperate,

"No! Please, no! Help me!"

Her head thrashes harder,

"Schuyler please help me!"

When she calls my name, it snaps me out of my helpless stupor, unsure of what I can do to help though. I pry her clammy hand from the sheet and everything she sees floods my mind. Something has her tight in it's talon like claws. It's large and black, but I can only see it out of the corner of my eyes; when I turn to face it, it disappears. With the creature invisible, Bliss' body hangs lifeless, as if suspended in midair. Dark blue liquid starts to pour from her neck: and then from puncture marks on her wrists and shoulder as well. Nausea overcomes me, when I feel a sudden burning pain on my own neck.

I awake flailing on the floor of my room.The scream I let out in the dream now sounding like a distant memory. The only noise in the room is the low hum from a long finished DVD. I look around and am for once thankful to be in my own, aesthetically lacking, room. My hand flies up to my neck; no marks anywhere, but I still feel the burning pain I had felt in the dream.

Opening the door from my room into the long hallway feels empty; I want to run to the comfort of Oliver or to Lawrence, but instead I walk to the kitchen alone. The oven glows 10:25 in bright green. It felt like I had been asleep only a few minutes, when actually it had been more than three hours. I open the freezer scouring for something to eat.

"I think there's some pasta Maggie made for you for dinner."

His voice made me freeze, had he heard me screaming?

"Um, no thanks."

Their cook seemed to make it her personal mission to put some weight on my skinny frame; a pointless cause. I was hungry, but not for pasta; not for food of any kind. Jack smirked as he seemed to be able to read my mind and pulled a plate from the fridge with two raw steaks on it. My stomach ached with hunger at the sight of them.

"Care to join me?"

He was teasing me as he carried them past me and set the plate down on the counter. I followed; sitting next to him on a black stool.

"Schuyler are you o.k.?"

I sucked on a large chunk of meat until it was completely dry and then nodded my head .

"I heard you screaming awhile ago."

He stopped eating. I could tell that he was trying to be calm, but was truly concerned.

"It was just a bad dream, that's all."

"You can talk to me you know?"

His hand found mine and covered it on top of the counter. I jerked away, but instantly missed the contact.

"I'm sorry jack."

"Why do you hate me so much now? I know I haven't been fair in the past, but you have to know that I feel something so confusing and yet overpowering that I can't resist it with you."

I didn't know what to say. His mesmerizing green eyes watch me, waiting for an answer.

"When I'm with you I feel powerless and right now I need all the power I can get."

He chuckled at me, Jack spoke the language of power; the driving element of his family.

"I don't want you to hurt me again." I say it so soft; I half hope he didn't hear me. I have never wanted him to know the effect he had on me, but this gave it all away.

Hio warm hand returned on top of mine, I don't even flinch; enjoying the electricity he is ending through me.

"Schuyler. I will never hurt you again."

The shrill of his phone echoes through the room.


	3. Chapter 3

My headache was easing up as the cool blood flowed through me. Dead animal's blood was a poor substitute for warm , pulsing human….Oliver, but it was better than nothing. I wanted to tell someone about my dream. Jack's face waited in anticipation to accept his apology and test his new openness. Weakly, I opened my mouth and let the words take over. The dream poured from me; every vivid detail, as if I was watching it all again. He listened intently to me. His green eyes never once leaving mine. Feeling physically exhausted as I reached the last horrible scene. Jack said nothing; he just continued to stare at me. I waited for something; call me crazy, anything!

"What do you think?" I stared down at my red cardigan, pulling the oversized sleeves over my hands and back again.

"I think…. Your mind is trying to tell you something. We learn so much from our memories."

"But no. This wasn't a memory, this has never happened. It was just a dream."

"Are you sure that's all it is?"

"Yes I think so."

Did I? Not really. It felt so much more real than any dream ever had, but I didn't want to tell Jack that.

"Don't worry about it tonight Schuyler, o.k.? It's late, maybe you're just overly tired or something."

Jack didn't play the role of concerned brother very well. He was uncomfortable whether it was just with me or with what I had just told him. He stood up from his chair and took a step back.

"I'm heading to bed, you should too."

"Um, o.k."

His quick retreat left me floored, one minute he was hanging on every word and the next not able to get away fast enough. He was almost out the kitchen door by the time I managed to squeak out,

"Did I do something wrong?"

I knew how pitiful and self-conscious I sounded, but I couldn't resist.

"Something wrong? No. "

He ran his hand through his blond hair, letting it fall back into place perfectly, with a frustrated sigh.

"It's just me. It's too hard-."

He broke off and stared past me at the dark cupboards. One thing I had never seen Jack Force be before is weak, but he seemed to be searching for strength.

"It's too hard for me to see you so upset. I want to help...I want to comfort you. But if I did comfort you it's not enough. Just touching you is never enough. You're like an addiction Schuyler; I just need more and more."

His voice was a choked whisper at this point.

"But Jack…"

Was he really telling me this or was my mind just finding a new way to torment me?

"I know Sky, I know."

He turned and left.

"Jack, wait."

He was gone by the time I reached the door. The long hall was empty. How could he just leave it like this? My mind swam with even more questions. I felt worse than before I had told him at all.

The walk back to my room was a long skulk. The hall felt like a never ending tunnel. My feet tried to stop as I passed Jack's room, but for once my head was stronger and pulled me past; a reluctant shuffle along the marble floor. Eventually, sleep came again as I settled into my bed. Part of me was scared of seeing the creature again, but part of me desperately wanted to know more. After glancing at my bedside clock for the millionth time, I fell into a deep dreamless sleep.

"Geez, just a sec."

Jack wasn't used to running to answer the front door, on his own, especially this early in the morning. But since all, or most, of the Force's would be off on summer holidays, Charles had given the staff time off. All except Maggie, the chef; Jack was hopeless in the kitchen and Vera, the biweekly housekeeper.

Jack's annoyance grew at the face on the other side of the knocking,

"What do you want Perry?"

Oliver hated when people used his last name like that, even if it was a mouthful, it was his name. But as far as Force Greetings came, it was one of the nicer ones he'd had. Oliver pushed past Jack, not waiting for an invitation. He had long gotten past the fact that he wasn't welcome, just necessary.

"Where's Sky?"

Jack shrugged. He hated to admit it, but he actually found Oliver Hazard-Perry to be a decent guy, even for a red blood. But Schuyler liked him; he was close to her like Jack never could be. And for this reason Jack couldn't make himself be nice to Oliver, no matter how great a guy he knew he really was.

"Is she here?"

"Yeah, but she's still asleep. She had kind of a rough night last night."

Oliver's eyes went wide,

"Why? What happened?"

Before concern became evident on his face, jealousy covered it. Jack smiled to himself; he couldn't help but be slightly pleased at whatever Oliver looked so jealous about.

"Look. Simmer down o.k. She just had a bad dream, that's all. It shook her up pretty bad."

"Not again."

Oliver had been around after she had had her bad visions before and it made him sick to see Schuyler's small fragile body trembling in terror.

"No, not a flashback, it was just a dream this time."

"What was it about?"

Jack still hadn't invited Oliver in past the entry.

"Fine, come in."

The last thing in the world he wanted was Oliver's help, because he knew that's the one person's help Schuyler would want. But at this point, he was truly concerned about her and needed someone's help. Jack led them into the living room and sat on the opposite couch that he'd offered Oliver. Jack stole a quick glance down the hall towards Schuyler's room and sucked in a large inhale. Next to her room was his sister's and as his eyes swept past her door his breath was cut short. She'd only been gone a few days and already all he could think about was Schuyler.

"Well?" Oliver's impatient verbal nudge broke up his guilty thoughts. Jack told Oliver everything Schuyler had told him last night about her dream.

"Hmmm, that's an awful one isn't it? She's probably still just overstressed with the attack and the MOVE."

He said the last word with extra emphasis. Jack didn't respond.

"I suppose I could go over to the Llewellyn's and check on Bliss. Don't really know what good it'll do, it can't hurt to just check on her."

"Yeah. Good idea."

After the move accusation, as if her stress was all Jack's families fault, he couldn't wait to get Oliver out of his home.

"Tell Schuyler I came to see her."

"Sure."

Oliver stood up and walked to the front door.

Even once he was back outside the defensiveness his body had taken up, didn't seem to ease up much.

He had purposely left his car at home. His hope had been that he would be able to kidnap Sky for the day and he knew she would've appreciated the freedom of riding public transportation. But after coming out of the house empty handed, the bus sounded like torture.

Pulling to a stop about five blocks from Bliss's house, Oliver anxiously scrambled from the overcrowded bus.

"Never again." He vowed.

Even though he had never actually been banned from the Llewellyn house, BobiAnne made him feel very unwelcome. As she opened the door he saw today was no exception.

"Oh."

She gave Oliver an evaluating look up and down,

"Bliss, sweetie, your little friend's here."

When she walked away, leaving the door open, Oliver breathed a sigh of relief; her voice was the equivalent of nails on a chalkboard to him. A blur of red came around the corner.

"Oh hey, Oliver. Come in."

"Hi."

She shut the door behind him.

"Is something wrong?" He had never been one for a casual visit…at least not here.

He looked at Bliss. Her hair was carefully blow dried curls and her make-up expertly applied, as usual. But today it seemed to be more of a cover, than an accent. The dark circles under her eyes, weren't quite concealed and a fresh set of worry lines showed through faintly on her brow.

"Um no, nothing's wrong. I was just coming to check on you."

"I'm fine, of course, why do you ask?" She gave an unconvincing laugh.

They were still standing absently in the foyer, but Bliss seemed oblivious, her mind seemingly preoccupied.

"Because you look like you haven't slept in days."

Her hands touched her face, knowing what gave her away. But then her face seemed to change. A scared mask now took the place of her usual innocent, cheery grin. Her green eyes were darting back and forth nervously.

"Bliss?"

"Oh Oliver. It's awful!"

Without waiting for a response, she grabbed a hold of his arm and dragged him around the corner and into her room, closing the door sharply behind them. As soon as it latched, her body slid down the door into a tight ball, her head trembled as she sobbed violently into her arms.

"Bliss? Bliss?"

Oliver had no idea what to do. The whole scene left him speechless. Sure she was kind of his friend, but certainly nothing like Schuyler, he didn't know how to comfort her. But still he needed to help; she looked like she was falling apart.

"I'm sorry. You must think I'm a complete nut, huh?"

"No." He was kneeling by her small, tucked up body. Her head still in her arms as she spoke,

"It's the dreams."

"Dreams?"

"Nightmares! They keep getting worse and worse. But last night," her body shuttered as she talked, "last night was the worst yet….It felt so real!"

Oliver stiffened, "What did you dream about?"

"I was in a hospital bed," she pulled her head up and stared at the wall, focusing on the picture in her head, "Schuyler was there and then all of the sudden something came over my body. I went from a peaceful sleep to some demon possessed fit. It flung me and shook me from the inside out. And then suddenly I was in the arms of a silver blood, it was hideous. It felt so real!"

Oliver could only stare at her as she retold the scene. It was exactly what Jack had told him that Schuyler had dreamt.

ZZZZ ZZZZ, Jack pulled the vibrating phone out of his pocket. Mimi had eased up on her regular check- ins, but still called, just to hear his voice, at least twice a day.

"Jack!"

"Of course. What's wrong?"

"I don't know you tell me." Her voice was sharp and cold, not the usual purr she used on him, a foreign desperation in it.

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"I had one of OUR flashbacks this morning."

Jack smiled, "which one?"

"The Vineyards. Italy."

"Ahhh," one of his favorites.

"It was the same as always; you and I making a promise to each other at sunset."

"Uh-huh."

"Only as I committed myself to you, I saw her! I saw you looking at her!"

"Who?"

"Schuyler Van Alen."

Impossible he thought.

From the corner of his eye he could see a figure walk into the room. He turned to look. In his chest something hit him, like he'd never felt before,

"Sky?"


	4. Chapter 4

"What? Why are you looking at me like I've got snakes coming out of my ears?"

Bliss's panicked voice finally snapped Oliver back to life.

"Sorry, sorry. It's just Schuyler mentioned having a similar dream. Strange coincidence I guess?"

He looked to her as if she could provide a clue to all this, but Bliss just shrugged helplessly; that seemed to be the way she felt a lot lately; helpless, and she hated it.

For awhile Oliver just sat uncomfortably in her gaudily decorated room. He had no real reason to stick around, but felt guilty leaving. She attempted small talk, but nothing seemed to cut through the tension.

Tap tap

"What was that?"

Bliss' head spun around to the window where the noise had come from.

"A branch or a bird."  
Oliver tried to stay calm. Bliss was already jumpy enough for the both of them. He awkwardly reached over and patted her hand. The reassuring gesture was lost on her though; she was intently focused on the window.

Tap tap

"There you heard it, didn't you?"

Oliver wasn't sure how to answer. Confirming that he had heard it would only scare her half to death, but denying it would only fuel her paranoia.

"Yeah I heard something." He tried to sound as casual as possible and stood up. Bliss had never realized how tall he was before.

Walking to the window he unlatched it and surveyed outside. Bliss was comforted by his chivalrous act. Back in Texas men taking care of woman was a given, but since moving here it was a rarity. Even though she was sure Oliver was just doing what came natural to him from years of taking care of Schuyler, warmth still ran through her.

"Um, are you expecting someone?" he asked her from outside the window.

"What?"

Oliver pulled his head back inside of the window, followed by a second darker head of hair.

"Dylan?" She managed with what little voice hadn't left her at the sight of him.

Dylan stood up and stretched once inside her room. Bliss was in shock; she had convinced herself that she had just imagined him showing up in her room a few months ago. Was this another hallucination? No, Oliver was seeing him too. She had grieved twice for him and wasn't going to go through it again. She desperately tried to form questions, but they wouldn't leave her mouth. Dylan came and knelt down by her on the bed.

"It's me, I'm really here. Just like I was really here a few months ago."

"I thought I had been dreaming. I thought you were dead."

Dylan stood up and walked back over to her window.

"Maybe I am? I don't know what I am anymore. Things have gotten weird."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't think I've attacked anyone since that night." He nodded towards Bliss not wanting to elaborate.

"But there is a lot I don't remember. I'm having a lot of blackouts and then waking up in strange places."

Bliss and Oliver shared a concerned glance.

"What about your parents?"

Dylan shrugged, "They just keep sending me from one specialist to the next."

"Aren't they worried that you might be a…a…," Bliss choked at the thought, "a silver blood."

"Not really and that's the weird part."

* * *

I felt Jack's eyes burning into me the second I stepped into the room; green lasers calculating my every move. It wasn't hard to figure out who he was talking with on the other end of the phone; only Mimi could cause such a guilty look on his pristine face. He spoke a few more words to her,

"Are you sure?...You don't have to…No, really…bye…"

And finally broke eye contact with me as he closed the phone

"Who was that?" I played dumb.

"Madeleine."

I had never heard him use her real name before, at least not around me.

"Really Benjamin? Is that so?"

"Knock it off Schuyler," he spat at me.

"I thought we were playing the formal name game. That's Ms. Van Alen."

He gave me an exasperated sigh and picked up an apple off the counter. Why had all our encounters lately taken place in the kitchen? Does food and stainless steel evoke uncomfortable feelings to be discussed?

"I'm a wreck Schuyler. Because of you."

"Me?"

"Yes you," his tone was edgy, an angry accusation in it.

"What did I do?"

I had a clue, but couldn't bring myself to actually comprehend it.

"My sister's coming home early. She's worried that there's something between us."

I felt guilty, even though I had done nothing.

He put the apple down and placed his hands on my shoulders. The reaction was instant; a wave of sweet burning sensation ran through me.

"I have to sort this out before she gets back," he paused to stare down at the counter for a minute, " Is there something between us?"

My mind instantly went back to the night of the Masquerade; how much I had hoped it had been him, every fiber of me had known it deep down.

I looked into his intense green eyes as he challenged me.

"Kiss me," I ordered softly.

He didn't move. My eyelashes flickered against the black curtain of my bangs that they were hiding behind. I held on desperately to the surge of unknown strength that was now controlling me.

"Kiss me," I demanded again.

He wasted no time in closing the distance between us. He pressed his body against mine as his hands grabbed forcefully around my face; pushing into my hair.

My whole body felt alive; every one of my senses dove eagerly into the kiss; his smell intoxicating each pore as I breathed him deeply. His lips moved expertly on mine with purpose, no game. We moved in perfect harmony. His hands added to the full body sensation making it almost unbearable pleasure. 

Time stood still, until his mouth began to move more slowly against me; letting each connection linger. With one last brush of his warm lips against mine he pulled away.

"Sky?"

I whirled around. In the doorway behind me stood Oliver and Bliss; startled and unmoving.

Bliss' small hand was over her gaping mouth. Shock and hurt were easily readable on Oliver's face.

"Oh Oliver, no. It's just…it was a test…just a …stop!" He turned for the door as I spoke and I finally found my feet again to go after him.

"What did you expect Perry?" a voice taunted at him from behind me,

"You're not a blue blood. She is."

My mind was quickly filled with the image of my mother; laying in the bed forever in love with her red blood familiar.

"Ollie please." I reached my hand to him, struggling to find the words to make everything better; there were none.

Before I could speak again my mind began to buzz. My legs went weak and I dropped hard to the ground.

_Not now, not now!_ I thought.

"She's weak. When's the last time she fed?"

Bliss questioned Jack urgently. Through my heavy eyelids I saw him look over at Oliver.

"No way!"

Oliver backed away from the huddle around me.

"She needs you!"

While they spoke, their voices sounded like they were further and further down a tunnel, my ears hummed and then everything went black.

The smell alone was enough to rouse me awake with a fierce jolt. The only noise I could hear was the strong rhythmic thumping of my best friend's blood. I couldn't think straight. There was no easing into it this time; no seduction; he thrust his neck to my mouth. I let my fingers dig into his brown hair, pulling him even closer. And then Ia new desire took over, my body craved another test. I didn't bite him, instead I pressed my lips hard onto his. The revitalization was instant; all my weakness, nausea was gone. My brain was screaming at me,

"What the hell are you doing?"

Suddenly,the air felt different; a cool breeze was around me, I opened my eyes tenatively.

I was no longer in the Force's kitchen, I was in a field; a thick overgrown field with forest surrounding the outlying edges. I couldn't feel the itchy ground under me, I was on something soft. The light pink of dusk washed across the sky. I had heard flashbacks being described like this before, but I had never imagined they would be so vivid. But I had no flashbacks; this wasn't supposed to be happening. Oliver's voice broke the confusing silence,

"Uh, Sky, where are we?"

* * *

A/N: Just to let the readers know...htere is no chapter 5. I took it out because it was a note to my readers. It's not missing any part of the story though. The story continues from chapter 4 to chapter 6!! Thanks for the support all my wonderful readers!!


	5. Chapter 6

A/N: So this kinda took on a life of it's own. I know it ventures far off from Melissa De La Cruz's wonderful books, but I just had to write where the characters take me. SO please don't comment telling me this is nothing like the book or anything...I already know. If you do'nt like it then don't read it.

* * *

Oliver was asking me as if I knew. I looked around the field, it was completely empty, "I have no clue, something happened when I kissed you."

I had kissed him back at the Force's. I was supposed to feed ad every instinct told me to, but at the last minute all I wanted was to kiss him. And it made no sense, but for once I had done something I wanted and until we ended up here it had felt right. Oliver seemed to choke when I said the word kiss. Most likely he had just assumed it had been done out of pity or confusion and that I'd never admit to it, but never in my life had I done anything with such purpose.

"Yeah, but what? You aren't supposed to have flashbacks and I'm certainly not supposed to have them with you."

"I know, I know."

I stood up and felt something brush against my ankles.

"Uh Sky."

Oliver noticed it too. He looked me up and down; something was different. I could feel it and Oliver's wide hazel eyes confirmed it. My fingers ran along a long white slip that started at my waist and ended at my ankles. The eyelet ruffle that made up the sleeveless bodice on top was also the trim around the bottom that had been brushing against my ankles. Oliver now stood up too, looking over his own new apparel. His jeans had been replaced with loose fitting brown trousers and a thin light blue unbuttoned shirt now took the place of his Roberto Cavalli tee shirt.

"Nice look," he wiggled his bare toes.

"Yeah, just don't step on any snakes."

It was meant to be a joke but the unsteadiness in my voice made it sound all wrong. As concern seemed to come across Oliver's eyes I could tell that he had misread my tone. Maybe I was crazy, undoubtedly I was, but I wasn't scared. I wasn't even uncomfortable in this strange, unexplained scene; I was excited. Something about it felt the slightest inkling of familiar. But it was the misplaced feeling of being alive, of being completely invigorated that seemed the most absurd to me.

"Don't worry o.k.?"

Oliver pulled me into a hug, obviously still misreading my shaky voice as distress. His face pressed firm against my cheek and the contact zapped me like a static charge. I raised my hand up to feel for my hair; it was always there, the dark shield around my face, but I could feel the breeze against my naked neck. My hair was pinned up. My hand wrapped around a small ball on the top of my head.

"I must say, I've never seen you wear a bun before."

Oliver was staring at what my hand wrapped around.

"yeah, can't say I've ever worn one," I stopped to think for a minute," I have to admit, I'm not hating it though."

"Really?" He pulled away from me, "You sure know how to make the librarian look, look hot."

A teasing smile spread across his face.

"Ollie?"

He responded before I could even manage to get the second syllable out,

"Yeah?"

I hadn't realized, but he had started to slowly walk along the edge of the field and I was joined next to him, my hand firmly entwined to his.

"Do you feel it?" The question was directed to him, but I whispered it into the passing trees.

His mouth opened like he was about to answer and then stopped. I let my head fall down onto his shoulder and his fingers came into place stroking up and down on my cheek in time with our steps.

"Yes, I do, Marina."

"Gallian, finally."

I managed only that before my lover's mouth fell completely over my words. In the back of my head Schuyler watched everything play out like a movie, she could feel it too, once she stopped fighting it.

"Marina, Gallian, there you are. We have been looking everywhere for you. Alexandra needs you."

A young girl's voice yelling from across the field startled me. She came running up to us, waving her arms wildly. Although Schuyler couldn't quite place the face, Marina knew her immediately.

"Aw Gresha, we were just coming back, go tell Alexandra we are on our way."

Schuyler began to vaguely recognize the face from the past. Jordan, Marina helped her recall. Oliver let his arms reluctantly fall from the hold they had around my waist. He walked back over to the blanket where we had been sitting and picked it up. I took it from him and folded it. Without the physical contact with him, my Schuyler memories and thoughts seemed to come back. Once the blanket was folded we started to walk towards a patch of forest that we inexplicably knew our house was at.

After about five minutes of walking down a forest path that oddly reminded me of something from a child's storybook we finally saw the outline of a house up ahead. Somewhere in my mind I had conjured up pictures of a Little House on the Prairie style log cabin; with billows of smoke from the chimney and farm animals roaming all around. But the house that appeared in front of me left me speechless; it was huge, putting my old apartment back home to shame. Square windows made up 

interesting patterns on the side of it, the whole thing looked made of some material that resembled rubber. The roof was entirely glass or plastic or some clear material and a round kind of Zen moat surrounded the entire thing.

"Whoa," Oliver broke the stunned silence we were frozen in.

"Is this what you had expected?" I asked him.

"No, not at all."

The front door opened and a woman walked out with the young girl we'd seen earlier trailing behind her.

"Isn't that Bliss' little sister?"

Oliver whispered in my ear, his hot breath sending momentary warmth throughout me.

I involuntarily mumbled back, "we're home Gallian," before my thoughts sharply snapped back to my own. His touch was becoming more potent, I realized.

"There you two are. For goodness sake, it's only three more days until you're wedding, do you really have to keep sneaking off like that?"

The young dark haired woman had her hands on her hips, but the playful smile on her mouth gave away that she really wasn't annoyed at us. I squinted my eyes, trying to place the familiar face in front of me and then it hit me,

"Grandma?"

"Excuse me?" The woman touched her face and then smiled at Jordan next to her, "time to up the anti-wrinkle treatments, huh?"

"No, you're Cordelia Van Alen, my grandmother. Aren't you?  
Oliver mad a gasping noise next to me, "She is, isn't she?"

"Oh dear me, I haven't heard that name for such a long time. What's it been, close four centuries now? She looked towards Jordan, who nodded in response, "not since you were Schuyler, I think; before the change."

My heart started to beat a racing thud thud thud in my chest as she spoke.

"But grandma, I am Schuyler. What change? "I was almost yelling at her now, hoping that at some time she would laugh tell me this is all a dream and I'd wake up, but after the tenth time I'd pinched myself I gave up the hope of waking from all this.

"Oh dear, don't tell me this is your first glimpse?"

"Glimpse? " I questioned.

Everything she said made less and less sense.

"You'd better come in. There's going to be a lot to explain."

She turned towards the front door. I thought about running away; leaving right then. I wasn't sure if I wanted to hear what she was about to explain. But before I could contemplate it any further she turned back to me.

"First though, I need to speak to Marina."

I held my arms up helplessly; did she really expect me to have any idea show to fulfill her stranger Twilight Zone request?

"Haven't you figured it out yet, my dear?"

My hand balled into a fist as it dawned on me, of course I knew how to let her talk to Marina, but there was no way I was going to touch Oliver and sit back as a spectator to all this.

Cordelia sensed my hesitation.

"Touch her," she gently ordered Oliver.

"Come again?"

Oliver hadn't yet figured out the power of our connection.

"Just hold her hand, stroke her hair, touch her shoulder."

Oliver took her second suggestion and brought his fingers to the few black bangs on my forehead that weren't long enough to be pulled back into the bun. As soon as his fingers made contact my whole body felt alive. My hands eagerly went up to his face; tracing every perfectly imperfect feature with my fingertips. His brown hair was neatly combed back, so I ran my hand through it to allow some of the brown waves to fall onto his forehead; I don't know why but for some reason I loved his hair best like that.

"Ah, Marina dear."

"Alexandra." I greeted my mother with a friendly nod.

"I am going to need your help in something."

"Does it have anything to do with Schuyler experiencing her first glimpse?"  
"You know then?"

Alexandra seemed relieved.

"Yes I do. It's quite amusing actually; how incredibly skeptical and easily panicked I was before the change."

"Well yes, but be easy on her, remember how disorienting first glimpses can be. We take it for granted these days."

Alexandra always defended anyone from before the Change, that was spoken ill of.

"Can you just help her along with the story; rejog what memories you can, get he to accept what I tell her?"

"I'll try," I sighed as Gallian kissed up and down my neck, making it almost impossible to respond, "But she's very resistant. I see now how she would have easily been the one to have changed it all."

"Yes, I know you have very few memories of your life before Allegra's gift, but you were indeed the correct choice to change it all."

The last few words trailed off as she seemed to be caught up in some memory that our conversation must have triggered.

"Let her come back now, dear."

I whined like a child at her request, I wasn't ready for Gallian to stop touching me and Schuyler hadn't discovered her and Oliver's destiny yet, so she wouldn't allow him to touch.

"Marina please. You know glimpses don't last very long, we only have thirty minutes at most, and I need to speak with her."

"Fine," I protested, thirty minutes seemed like an eternity to give control back over to her, but I reluctantly stepped away from Gallian. Oliver must've had more control of his body than Schuyler did, because I watched him come back immediately, his cheeks blushed a deep maroon as I smiled at him; his lips still red and moist from the incessant kisses left on my equally moist neck. And then I felt Sky come back.

"What is this change you keep talking about?"

"Come in you two, we have a lot to discuss."


	6. Chapter 7

Oliver dragged in behind me; as hesitant as I was about what we would hear, but also studying every interesting feature of the house. He looked at me out of the corner of his eyes as we stepped inside,

"Just don't touch me o.k."

"Don't worry I won't" He held up his hands like a bank hostage, obviously the last touch scared him into understanding.

The inside of the house made the outside pale in comparison. The walls were floor to ceiling fountains. The floors were made up of intricately detailed tiles pieced together to form elaborate pictures. There were no light switches, no outlets. A warm glow from the floor seemed to illuminate the whole room. The furniture looked to be made up of some super plush looking material that I couldn't name. There was no TV or stereo anywhere; in fact there were hardly any electronics in the room at all. Jordan sat on the floor, near one of the fountain walls and brushed a mop doll's hair over and over again. Cordelia must've noticed me looking at Jordan, because she directed us to the couch and motioned back towards the little girl,

"This is Gresha."

"Hello."

She greeted us. I couldn't recall here ever looking so happy in the few times I'd met her with Bliss.

"Hey." Oliver replied back.

"Please sit," Cordelia encouraged us, as she did.

"Wow" Oliver bounced up and down on the cushions and few times. They were just as I would imagine sitting on a cloud to feel like.

Cordelia rubbed her hand across one of the multi colored cushions, "they're recycled clothing. Everything is made from something recycled here."

"Cool" I could tell that pleased Oliver's inner eco-nerd.

"Well, I shall start by properly introducing myself. I am Alexandra; your mother, but you may just call me by my name the titles of mom and dad are no longer used."

She stated it so bluntly that I almost slid off the clothes couch.

"Her mother?" I was glad Oliver was there to voice the thoughts I couldn't quite make into words.

"How can you be my mother? What happened to Allegra?"

I struggled to say her name. Apparently in this time she was a forgotten memory, but in my world she was still very much a part of me.

"Well it is the guardian role they chose me for after my last evolution. After Gabrielle chose to never wake up."

The breath felt like it had been punched out of me, what was she saying?

"She lived a peaceful cycle in her never ending glimpse and when it finally ended she chose to pass it on to you. She had nothing more to look forward to."

"A glimpse? That's where she was the whole time while she was in the hospital in a coma? A glimpse is like what I'm in now right?"

"Correct," Alexandra smiled, "it is a peek into your future. Allegra was able to live out the lifetime she should have had with Stephen in her glimpse. When she was done with a full, loving life she passed the gift on to you so that you and you," she nodded at Oliver, "would have the gift."

"She's never given anything to me," I felt tears sting behind my eyes; not out of grief but because I was so relieved to hear that beneath her vacant eyes she had been happy.

"No I suppose she hasn't yet." Alexandra chuckled.

"So this isn't a flashback then, is it? We're in the future?" The words from Oliver's mouth sounded too science fiction to be reality.

"It is a rare gift for a blue blood in your time to go forward instead of having a regenerative memory. Most blue bloods can revisit past lives, but few vampires have the ability to visit future ones."

"Cool!" Oliver said. I elbowed him in the ribs for how easy he was accepting all of this, for which I was rewarded with a wave of lust from my head to toe.

"No touching," he mocked me, obviously experiencing the same sensation from the contact.

"So this is the future?" I looked around the house. Parts of it seemed to fit, but the long simple dresses and reserved hairstyles looked out of place.

"Not what you expected?" She tried to hide her smile.

"The world can only progress so far. We pushed the electronics age past its limits early on. And then about a hundred years ago everything began reverting back to what you see now; a less stressful, non rushed, less violent way of life. We live and thrive in peace."

A looked at Oliver; he hung on every word. I knew his mind was cursing every future based movie he'd ever watched.

Alexandra didn't speak; allowing us to take everything in.

"And I am Marina?"

"Yes my dear. My beautiful Marina and her Gallian," She smiled between us.

"But we're together? How is that allowed?"

"The change, my darlings, the change."

She glanced down at a marble sundial in the middle of the floor.

"Oh dear, I know you have so many questions. But there is not much time today."

"Wait," I felt more confused than when I had first came to the house.

"What do you want to know?"

One thing she'd said stood out in my jumbled mind more than the others.

"The change. What is the change you keep talking about?"

"Is it like a big vampire ceremony or something?" Oliver added, obviously it'd been on his mind too.

"No" Alexandra laughed. She smoothed her hands over her white skirt as her mind looked to be contemplating how she was going to answer.

"The change is a major mark in Schuyler's existence. When she will change life for herself and for all bluebloods. It's a time when you will be called to use all the special gifts you have to defeat a consuming evil."

"Silverbloods" my mind quickly answered, letting the words fall quietly off my lips.

I noticed Alexandra slightly cringe at the words, my only indication that I had guessed right.

"When will it happen?" Oliver asked.

Alexandra's eyes moved to Gresha who had now put her doll down and was listening intently to us,

"Soon." She answered.


	7. Chapter 8

**A/N: If this is too confusing to follow or understand please let me know which parts. Of course I don't want to lose the mystery or suspense of it, but if it is really confusing I want to fix it, so PM me or comment me and let me know which parts need to be clarified or written better. thanx.**

* * *

My head began the throbbing that I had truly come to hate. My whole body felt empty and was shaking uncontrolably. This feeling was becoming far too familiar, but it was what it meant that I dreaded more than what it felt like.

"Sky, are you o.k.?"  
Oliver caught sight of my trembling hand and turned, grabbing hold of my face. The instant her touched me burning images of passionate moments spent with Gallian rushed flooded into my mind; surging through the frigidness in me that the tremors were causing like a blazing fire. In between each flicker of a scene I could catch Alexandra still sitting there, smiling at me,

"It seems your visit is over for this time."

I wanted to yell no, to protest; I still had so many questions. But whatever was happening to my body was overpowering any freewill left in me. It didn't take long for the vivid picture show to become enjoyable; each kiss, each cares was just a loving memento of mine and Gallian's life. Eventually though, the pictures began to flip through my mind slower and slower until I could see nothing more, but I could feel warm lips on mine. I opened up my eyes and it was just like falling into one of the pictures; all the control I had been using to hold back everything while talking to Alexandra dissolved completely and I devoured Gallian with four hundred years worth of lust.

A loud throat clearing made me jump. I was breathing heavily and was wrapped around Oliver like a clinging vine.

"Well, that was disgusting."

My head spun around to look behind me, only to be rewarded with a sharp headache. Jack was standing at the end of the couch; his arms crossed over his chest and his rigid posture revealing obvious irritation. His eyes bore into mine and I couldn't break free of the intense stare; it was if his deep green orbs were scanning my brain; disclosing every secret. I jumped as someone's cool hand touched my forehead.

"Sorry. Sit still, I'm just checking."

"Dr. Pat?"

"I called her," Jack announced, I could still feel his eyes boring into the side of my head; I didn't dare look. But his weren't the only eyes I was avoiding. There were also a set of hazel ones that I had recently gotten lost in, that belonged to the unmoving body sitting behind me on the couch.

"Apparently, you gave him quite a shock," Dr. Pat continued with her explanation for being here, "you've been out for over an hour."

She shot Oliver a look and I could feel his uneasiness by the way he shifted on the couch cushions.

"I think she's just very weak," she turned to talk to Jack now, "she needs to feed more and soon!"

"What about him?" Jack asked, nodding his head disgustedly towards Oliver, obviously not caring that the "him" was her nephew.

"Um, I'm not sure."

It was the first time I had ever heard Dr. Pat, who was always confident and self assured, hesitate," Oliver, come by the office later for some tests, o.k.?"

She gave him another look I couldn't quite decipher, but it showed that tests certainly didn't mean tests.

"Fine,"It was the first time he'd spoken and I scolded my heart for jumping just at the sound of it. Running my fingers through my hair, I attempted to physically squash down any feelings that weren't supposed to be showing up at inconvenient times.

Three sets of eyes watched Dr. Pat as she walked out of the room and went out the front door. I felt rude for not walking her out, but it was Jack's house; he should've been the one to do it. Jack looked like he wasn't soon to be moved though; I studied him and tried to understand why he was so upset by all of this; did he really dislike Oliver that much? My mind came up with nothing. But the way he looked between the two of us, gave me a distinct uneasiness in the pit of my stomach. Buried deep in the annoyance that raged in his eyes there was something else I noticed, something I'd never seen in Jack before, I almost gasped; jealousy.

The phone rang out from the kitchen and I was thankful for the interruption as Jack left the room to answer it. I almost choked from relief as the thick tension in the room eased up. Behind me Oliver made a coughing type noise to get my attention. I turned around to look at him; his brown hair was more disheveled that usual and there was still hint of red flush in his cheeks. I loved and hated the knowledge that I caused that.

"You need to feed Sky, you heard my aunt."

"I know."  
I responded, our conversation was oddly casual, more like we were business partners than recently discovered soul mates that had just gone through a cosmic world changing experience. He stood up from the couch and smoothed out his crumpled pants. For some reason I almost felt a tinge of disappointment to see him back in his jeans and tee shirt. Without a word or even a fleeting look back at me he started down the hall towards my room. I refused to let myself overreact and just told myself it was Oliver just being moody, but I couldn't ignore the slightly painful tug on my chest by the cold way he was treating me, eventually I stood up and followed. Once in the room I shut the door, just as he spun around to me.

"Just do it," Oliver thrust his neck into my face and I wasted no time sinking my teeth in. There was no dance; no careful foreplay to it this time, everyone had been right; I had gone far too long without feeding.

As I opened my door a half hour later I immediately wanted to slam it shut again, and maybe put up a few dozen locks and possibly a moat too. Her voice bounced down the walls of the hall and I vaguely recalled Jack telling me that Mimi was coming home early. Unfortunately, there was somewhere I really needed to go, especially since Oliver would be asleep for the next few hours and this needed to be done alone. But the path to the front door was a straight line directly through the living room. I wrapped the floor length hooded sweater that I was carrying on my arm around my body; it swallowed me up, which was good because I was trying to look as unsociable as possible. Oliver always told me that I looked like some secret agent grandma when I wore this.

Leather suitcases of all sizes lined the hall leading into the living room. As soon as I reached the doorway the loud, friendly, homecoming chatter stopped,

"Oh. You."

Her tone took on a new degree of disdain.

"Welcome home princess, I was just leaving."

I wound my way through the maze of glass tables and ivory sculptures that Trinity Force claimed were artwork, as quickly as possible.

"Schuyler. Wait."

I heard Jack say at the same time Mimi called out, "Good idea, leave."

She added more to it in response to Jack asking me to wait, but I didn't slow down to catch it. The front door was in sight and I went through it as if it were some magical portal leading out of hell, and stepping on to the sidewalk out of the Force's home I realized it was pretty damn close to one.


	8. Chapter 9

I had the Force family's driver drop me off in front of the Hospital. My pride had insisted I walk, but it was a long way and the temperature was near freezing, so I sucked it up and hoped in the car, but I tried hard not to enjoy the warmth from the heaters during the ride.

So many times I had walked up these same steps, stood in front of these same doors, moped through this same lobby, but this time it felt different. I wasn't going to plead with the helpless body, which was practically a stranger called my mother, to wake up. This time I was going to sit with her and be happy for her that she's living out her dream. That she's not empty; she's completely fulfilled. My feet moved with unusual enthusiasm towards her room. Pushing open the heavy metal door the figure sitting in the chair across the room startled me. But unlike when I had discovered Charles in here visiting my mother, this person didn't disappear. She turned around, as startled as I was.

"Oh! Schuyler. You scared me."

"Bliss? What on earth are you doing here?"

I vaguely remembered her being at Jack's house before everythign had happened with Oliver and I; before the kiss, the glimpse. BUt it hadn't really occured to me before now that she wasn't there when I woke up.

"I left," she answered as if reading the question in my mind. "I split out when the DR. came."

Her eyes were red and puffy; why was she in my mother's hospital room crying? I felt a protective annoyance grow in me, how dare she! She doesn't even know Allegra; the fact that neither did I taunted me in the back of my brain.

"I honestly don't know. It's the dreams though; they are always about this place. And her."

She motioned at the sleeping infamous angel in the stark white bed.

"That makes no sense." I wasn't feeling very understanding or tolerant towards her strange dreams anymore. I had my own weird vampire issues to worry about, I didn't need some one else's dropped on me too.

"I know, but then…" Her eyes left Allegra and looked directly into mine, "I saw everything. When you and Oliver kissed and I joined you in your glimpse Marina."

My breath stopped short on my throat, what had she just said?

"What did you call me?" My voice even sounded weaker than it felt if that was possible.

"Marina, of course. Didn't you see me there?"

I searched my mind, remembering every detail of the mysterious but wonderful glimpse; there was no memory of Bliss. What was she up to?

"I don't know what you are talking about Bliss."

"Schuyler," she stood up, walking the short distance across the room over to me; a franticness in her eyes.

"But I was there, with you the whole time; Dylan and I. We were in the field walking with you, we went into Alexandra's house and talked to her with you, we even all saw my sister."

This made no sense, she knew every detail. But I was positive that she hadn't been anywhere in the glimpse.

"Then how did you wake up before me i fyou were in the same glimpse?"

"Dr. Pat woke me up first, everyone jusst figured I must've fallen asleep sometime when they weren't paying attention. I knew I had to come here, and I did as soon as I could."

I know doubt was coering every inch of my face, I didn't know what to believe from her.

"Fine, then ask her. She'll tell you."

I looked at Bliss realizing now that she was completely crazy. Insisting that I talk to a comatose woman about dropping inside my daydream; she had to be insane.

"Knock it off, that's not funny."

Bliss' face looked down to my mother and back up to me without a hint of joking showing anywhere,

"Didn't you know? She's awake."


	9. Chapter 10

A/N I decided to post a quick update to maybe clear somethings up. Maybe this will make it more confusing, I'm not sure. I don't want to divulge all the mysteries yet, but here's a little bit.

* * *

I stumbled back into the chair against the wall and looked over at the bed. I had been so shocked at finding Bliss Llewellyn in the room that I hadn't bothered to pay attention to the blinking face watching us from the bed.

"Mother?" My word was even doubtful as I watched her smile weakly at me.

"Schuyler." She answered me and my shock was instantly replaced with stronger emotions; relief, joy and frustration; all of which forced a heavy flood of tears.

"No my angel, no." She reached her hand to me, her translucent skin already regaining some color.

"I am sorry, so sorry my angel. I am sorry for having left you all this time."

"I know why you did." I answered through the sobs that I was trying to gain control of. Any resentment I had ever felt towards her was forgotten; relief was a funny eraser.

"Schuyler, you need to listen. I know you have so many questions for me."

I nodded. I did have a lot; more by the minute.

"But there isn't much time."

"Why not?"

This was far from fair, I had waited so long for her and now I wasn't given much time.

"My glimpse has ended and now everything in my existence is over; complete; fulfilled. Come here my angel." She held her hand out past me; motioning for Bliss. She lay there holding one of each of our hands in either of her delicate ones.

"You both had your first glimpse today?"  
It was a question. She sounded like a proud parent excited for their child's first steps or first word. I shifted uncomfortably; why was she including a stranger in our family discussion? A delusional stranger at that?

"Yeah, I did. But Bliss wasn't in it. I'm sure of it."

"I was though." Bliss persisted with her lie.

"Answer me something; what if I gave each of you the chance to continue on in your life or to undo everything?"  
"What?" We both answered in confused unison.

"The chance to either continue on as a blue blood; to strengthen your glimpses, to develop your gifts. Or the chance to give it all up; to live in peace as a red blood; no silver bloods to worry about, no life cycles to carry you on; just one life to live however you choose?"

I listened carefully to her words; was she serious? Who would make a choice like that, who would want to give this up?

"I wouldn't trade this for anything. I want to understand everything I can; to carry on the blue bloods; to strengthen my gifts."

"I thought so," she rubbed her thumb gently across my cheek.

"And Bliss?"  
"To be normal? Human?"  
I looked at her; surely she wasn't even considering it.

"Dylan chose to give it all up, didn't he?"

Allegra nodded her head, "Yes, he was given the choice."

"What? By who?" My head was spinning; I felt like I was looking out over an entire ocean through a tiny straw hole; only catching a small piece of the entire story.

She held up her hand to silence my questions.

"No more nightmares? Life would be just like in the glimpse; just us living together in peace."

"Stop it Bliss!" I yelled at her, the few memories I had of old black and white movies made my hand itch to slap some sense into her. "You didn't have a glimpse; you don't know what you're talking about. And you can't even be seriously considering this. You hardly even know Dylan. How can you consider giving up your destiny; your purpose for him; he's evil."

"No Sky, don't you see?" And as she spoke I noticed for the first time in months she actually looked at peace; her face smiled without the layer of pain behind it. "Dylan won; he escaped the silver blood that was controlling him; he's human now. And my destiny… it IS this. That's why you and Oliver never saw me in your future; in your glimpse. Because I won't be there; my cycle stops here. I don't continue."

"NO!" she ignored me and turned back to my mother.

"Gabriel please, you know my answer."

"I do my angel. Sit down and wait. All of the gift will be passed solely onto Schuyler. Once she receives it you will have what you want."

"What are you talking about? What gift?" My head was pounding now as I fell deeper and deeper into their mystery.

"My blood."

My mother spoke as if it was simply an old piece of jewelry she was passing down.

"My blood holds the gift. It was meant for you to share. Without it her bloodline will stop and it will be her last cycle as a human, with it a new unspeakable power; a gift that will lead us into the change."

"Mother please." My brain was going to explode, "Stop speaking in riddles; the gift, the change, our bloodline." I looked at Bliss; she didn't look confused at all. My last word resounded in my head.

"Bloodline? Our bloodline? Bliss isn't part of our bloodline; our family is she?"

"Of course angel. Goodness, did Cordelia never tell you anything?"  
I grabbed hold of the bed railing; thankful for the much needed support.

"But how?"

Allegra's peaceful face furrowed as she rubbed her forehead.

"Mother? Mother?"  
"It's over Schuyler. It has to happen now. If you've made your choice then you have to bite me and feed. Take every drop my angel; the gift is yours."

"I can't –"

"Please. You must! I wish you well in your life my angel," she was speaking past me, to Bliss and smiled, "I love you both."

"Thank you" Bliss whispered back.

The hand I was holding began to shake,

"Schuyler now!" My mother commanded me with a booming voice.

"But-"

"You must!"

I shut my eyes tight and dropped my mouth to her delicate neck. The instant her blood touched my lips I could feel it, I saw every cycle Gabriel had lived; her decision to join Michael here on earth, her journey through one human façade after another, the night she met Stephen Chase and then the perfect years she lived out with him ; every moment worth the immortality she had given up.

"You are going to do amazing things Schuyler Van Alen," she whispered to me and then her body fell limp as I took the very last of her power.

Pulling back to look at her she looked like she always had to me; sleeping peacefully.

"I feel it Sky. Do you?"

Bliss' quiet voice came from the corner behind me and I turned towards her.

"I feel human; different; it happened." She stuck out her arms to look herself over.

"I could feel it too, a new power surging through me."


	10. Chapter 11

**A/N: I am sooooo sorry that I have left this for so long. I am doing a play and had to really focus. But we survived opening night and it's smooth sailing from here. So now I can concentrate on writing again. ANd I have a lot to add so except a few chapters tonight and tomorrow. I 'll start with this short one to wet your appetite though :-)**

* * *

Was it wrong to look at my mother lying on the bed and think for the first time ever, she looked happy?

"We should call the nurse."

I had almost forgotten that Bliss was still sitting silently in the corner. The soft tone of her voice was just an outward showing of what we had both experienced.

"Yeah. You're right."

I reached behind the peaceful angel and pushed a red button. Although my movements seemed to almost be playing out in slow motion, inside my mind was racing a mile a minute. Memories and images that weren't my own were settling into place. As pictures and memories ran through my mind like a comic flip book, it stopped suddenly on one face; Oliver. He needed me or I needed him; possibly both. Either way I had to call him. I picked up the clunky rotary phone that sat on the bedside table, ignoring the cell phone that was inside my purse on the floor.

"Hello," he answered on the other end just as the nurse came in the room. I turned toward the corner at a feeble attempt for privacy. Bliss began to talk with the nurse.

"Ollie?"

"Sky?"

"I need you to come over to the Hospital."

"What happened?"

"Just get here." The authority in my voice shocked both of us.

"Is everything o.k.?"

I glanced at the bed next to me out of the corner of my eye. The nurse dropped Allegra's wrist and shook her head before giving Bliss two cold pats on the shoulder. The lack of sympathy in the nurse's face didn't surprise me; to most of the Hospital staff my mother had been dead since the day she was brought here.

"Yeah. No. Kind of."

"Well thanks for that definitive answer."

My dramatic eye roll was wasted since he couldn't see me through the phone.

"O.k. I'm on my way. But Schuyler there's something you should know."

"Not now, just get here."

"No, but-"

I put down the phone without any guilt for hanging up on him mid sentence. Every nerve in my body was itching to return; we had to go back. Nothing else mattered right now. I had so many questions and having another glimpse was the only way to answer them.

The fifteen minute wait for Oliver to arrive went by very quickly. Bliss and I watched the circus that came to take care of Allegra. I never imagined that it took so many people all dressed in blinding white uniforms, to declare someone deceased. At last they pulled a sheet over her porcelain face and wheeled her out of the room. It seemed like such an unfitting mortal ending for such a divine being. We just sat there; motionless. Crying would only be forced and insincere and there were no words to describe what all had taken place this evening. With all her memories securely and vividly planted inside my head, the finality of her existence seemed unreal.

"Schuyler," Oliver rushed in out of breath, his shaggy brown eyebrows furrowed practically to his nose, "the nurse just told me about your mom. I'm so sorry."

He leaned in to hug me, but I stopped him. I wanted more from him and had to stay focused in order to accomplish it.

"It's fine. I'm fine. I'll explain it all later. That's not why I called you though."

His face went from contorted in concern to a new confused contortion.

"I need you to kiss me."

I knew the words couldn't have sounded more random if I had asked him to pull purple elephants out of his nose, but it was the only way I knew of to bring on a glimpse. The new power pounding through me was aching for it. I wanted to control it this time; to ask the questions and get the answers I needed. Oliver stepped away from me; all the while our silent audience of one seemed oblivious to it all as she stared out the window.

"No I'm not doing that again."

He sounded afraid. It had never occurred to me that he would have been afraid of our experience. To me it was exhilarating and now almost addictive. I needed to go back; to find out more. But I couldn't do it on my own. I needed Oliver; his touch. A shudder went through me just thinking of the electric power his touch created in the glimpse.

I stepped to match him; the two thick inches of worn heel on my black boots brought me almost eye level to him.

"Please do this for me. How can you not want to go back? Don't you want to find out more about our destiny?"

The word our came from my lips with less hesitation than it normally had. Since when had my future with Oliver become such a certain and comfortable thing?

He stuttered for a minute, no words coming out, just incomplete sounds. It was almost as if my bold persistence rather than my request itself was making him nervous.

I watched Oliver's chest puff up as he took in an oversized deep inhale and stepped back again.

"Wait! Schuyler I need to tell you something. It's important."

This again.

"What?"

I hoped my annoyance at his avoiding tactics was obvious.

"There was another one?"

"Another what?"

"Another attack. A silver blood attack."

I felt all my energy, all my excitement for the glimpse drain out of me. I couldn't get a word out of my mouth. Oliver seemed to answer my unspoken questions though.

"She's o.k. though; the silver blood was interrupted in the middle of the attack and fled."

"Did they..."

"No they didn't catch him."

"Who was attacked?"

Oliver dropped the eye contact he had maintaining since he had begun speaking."

"Mimi."


	11. Chapter 12

I had Oliver call Dylan to come and pick up Bliss before we left the hospital,

"She did it all for him, he needs to be with her."

"Did what?"

"It's a long story. I promise I'll tell you after I've had more than an hour of sleep."

Somehow our James Dean wanna-be friend and the Texas cheerleader had played Romeo and Juliet and won. It seemed unlikely but Bliss seemed so sure this is what she wanted. She assured us she'd be alright before we left, but I still felt a little guilty abandoning her alone in the uncomfortable little empty room. I promised to call her tomorrow.

Oliver drove us back to my home; The Force House. There were more cars than usual parked along the street. I felt a lump in my throat as he parked and we stepped onto the damp sidewalk. I didn't know what to expect when I walked in but I knew they weren't going to be very happy to see Oliver Hazard Perry with me. However, there was no way in hell I was going into this lion's den without him. I mentally was beating myself to a bloody pulp; how could I have completely lost sight of the big picture? The silver blood; the very real danger to us. Through all the excitement, the new adventures and all the focus on myself I had forgotten the very real danger out there. I forgot what I was trying so desperately to stop. Only a day ago I had been so sure I was destined to defeat the silver bloods. And I hear I was lusting after my best friend's touch while this monster attacked someone where I lived. I'm not sure when I had decided this was my fight, but I knew I was a large part of it and I had fallen short.

"Ready?"

"No"

I answered as Oliver turned the F monogrammed doorknob. The house was a buzz; the high and mighty of the committee were staggered in every spare inch of the large foyer spilling out into the living room.

I weaved through the sea of well dressed beautiful people. They gave no notice to me or to Oliver, but I noticed them. Although some looked deep in conversation, there was a serious absence of concern among them. From face to face no one even acknowledged our slow, winding bee line towards the hall.

"Certainly there is something that can be done."

A snippet of Charles's conversation with a woman I didn't recognize danced into my ear. I turned to look. His face looked almost pleading with the disapproving old woman.

"Sorry"

I mumbled into a face full of black cotton. I had turned my head while walking by to try and catch more of their conversation, body only managed to smack right into a body planted firmly at the hall entrance in front of me.

"Careful there"

'Damn' I mumbled to myself

He laughed his too familiar laugh; I guess my mumble was heard by more than just myself.

I knew his green eyes were boring into the top of my head, but I refused to pull up my gaze from the floor.

"Hazard Perry"

He greeted Oliver, who I could sense stiffen behind me.

"Force" He greeted back.

"You heard?" Jack asked me.

"Yes. I'm so sorry Jack."

I couldn't help but look up at him; it was his sister, after all. I didn't know what to say; I still couldn't figure out if I'd walked into a funeral, a party or a committee meeting. But I knew I was truly sorry this had happened.

Jack leaned casually against the door frame; he clanked the ice cubes in his drink. One of the downsides of alcohol having no effect on us, meant it couldn't numb any pain; no escape.

"What are you sorry for? It's not your fault. She'll be fine anyways." I was a bit surprised by his lack of concern; I had assumed he'd be a mess over this.

"I know, but..." Why did I feel so responsible?

"I need to talk to you for a minute," his eyes grew a deeper emerald as they flashed to Oliver. "Alone."

"Not a chance" Oliver spoke before I could get a word out. Even with my heels on I felt as small as a mouse between the two of them. Somehow they had both grown taller in the past ten seconds, neither giving the other an inch.

"Schuyler please." He leaned towards me," Family business."

It was a cheap card to play, but it worked. I let out a heavily defeated sigh as I turned back to Oliver, "Just give us a sec please. I'll meet you in my room."

He didn't budge, "Please Ollie."

"Whatever"

I felt like a traitor as I watched him trudge down the hall.

"This had better be important." I fumed at Jack; the cocky smirk across his face proved that there was no family business.

"Come with me," before I could protest he grabbed hold of my arm and pulled me into the first room in the hallway; his bedroom.

"Jack let go!" I wriggled free of him and stood there letting the irony sink in. Only a week ago I would have given anything for Jack to touch me; even if he was just dragging me somewhere; I would have been a giddy fool. But for the last twenty four hours I had barely even given Benjamin Force a second thought. Something I thought was impossible to do. Everything; the change, our destiny, my gift; it had all set in motion already and Jack Force wasn't part of it.

"Where have you been lately?"

"You've seen me."

"No Schuyler. Something weird has happened or is happening with you. What's going on?"

"It's none of your business."

"Sky what's up? I thought we were friends."

Friends? Was I being fair? I looked up at his perfectly sculpted face, golden blond strands of hair falling gently down his forehead; fluttering each time his eyelids blinked open and shut. He was right I had no reason to be angry with him. I was angry at myself.

"Things have changed haven't they?"

After he had dragged me in here, he had leaned back against his door, but now as he spoke he pulled himself up and took a step towards me.

"What things?"

Playing dumb was my only defense.

"Us things"

"There was never an 'us' Jack, there's you and Mimi, that's it."

It almost went unnoticed but as I spoke those true words a little twinge played in my stomach.

"You know that's not true. You're the new factor"

"Yeah the new problem in your perfect cycle."

"None of us have any idea what is supposed to happen this cycle Schuyler Van Alen."

He stepped closer, leaving barely an inch of space between our bodies, close enough to sense the trembling that had now begun throughout me. I blinked my eyes furiously from behind my black bangs, hoping he didn't see what he was doing to me. But I knew he did.

"I do know," it was barely a whisper.

"No you don't."

"I do. My cycle ends with Oliver."

Jack laughed at me, a full hearty laugh as if I had just told the funniest joke in the world.

"You can't be serious."

"I am" I licked my desert dry lips, trying to restart my betraying body that had completely shut down all normal functions on me.

"Sky, he's a nice guy. I like him, I do. But he's not a blue blood, not one of us." The gap between us was closed as he pressed into me, his warm hand tucking long straight strands of black hair behind my ears. I closed my eyes as his hand trailed from my hair down my cold cheek. I thought I was supposed to be immune to him now. His touch wasn't like the fire that Oliver's touch caused in me. But it felt like a drug, like something I needed; something I 'm not supposed to have, but want all the same.

"He can never understand you; he doesn't understand what it's like. He's human Sky; you'll live forever- he won't."

"But we're supposed to be together, I've seen it. I've seen the future. It's with Oliver." I protested. Why were Jack's words making so much sense? This isn't right.

He replaced his feather light touches with his hot mouth trailing over my flushed cheeks and down my neck. I felt his teeth graze along my collarbone, causing my pulse to pound through that one vein. The sensation he created was nearly unbearable. He was seducing me and I hated it, but I didn't want him to stop; I wouldn't let him.

"Doesn't this feel right?" He whispered in husky breaths into my ear while he kissed back down to my shoulder.

I had no words to respond. The only noise I could make was a deep greedy moan.

"Sky? Sky?" Oliver's pounding at the door pulled my body off of Jack's. I nearly screamed, covering my mouth as I realized what I had just let happen. He had changed everything.


	12. Chapter 13

The rhythmic pounding mixed with my name being yelled repeatedly until it sounded like a foreign word snapped me back to reality. The reality of whose arms I was melting into.

"Schuyler" the smooth deep voice whispered in front of me followed sharply by the demanding voice on the other side of the door, "Sky, Sky!"

Jack stepped to the side allowing me free access to the doorknob. I turned it slowly to reveal the face that only an hour earlier I was sure my whole future was with. Now the same hazel eyes acknowledged that he knew where he stood in my life. Even if I was unsure his eyes seemed certain it wasn't with him.

"Uh, yeah, Sorry. We were just talking. What's up?" I cursed each pathetically lied syllable as it left my mouth.

"Whatever!" He wouldn't make eye contact and I could feel the body behind me was pleased with Oliver's reaction, even though he made no sound.

"I just wanted to let you know Mimi's asking to see you."

"Me?"

Oh God, a double guilt whammy. Here I am coming to check on Mimi and instead became so easily distracted by the thought that I never want her brother, her soul mate, her lover for all eternity, to take his hands off me.

"Um, yeah,o.k."

I didn't want to see her. I tried to bite his taste off my mouth. Involuntarily rubbing every spot on me that his mouth had just been. Undoubtedly making the spots even redder and more obvious. Oliver's eyes seemed to trail along with my hand. The red marks from Jack's hot mouth like huge swollen tramp pox, insanely vivid against my white skin.

"See ya later Sky." Jack gently grabbed my shoulder. His hand burned even through my heavy sweater. I fought against my eyes shutting to accept it.

"Later red blood." He shot at Oliver as he pushed past our frozen exchange in the doorway, more malice in every word than usual.

"That's all I am, isn't it? All I'll ever be? Just the red blood."

"Don't listen to him, you know Jack, he's just like that."

"Now you're defending him?"

"Ollie"

He turned his back on me; towards the whole blustering world going on back in the main hall of the house that I had completely forgotten about.

"Mimi's still waiting." He mumbled as he walked away from me.

The whole scene felt wrong. The way he was passing messages between us, he used his best dutiful voice on purpose and it worked. He felt like ...my conduit again...nothing more. My mind swam long past me being able to see him disappear into the packed room, at the end of the hall. I tried to figure all this out. How can destiny be so fickle? Surely I hadn't misread the glimpse. Surely, everything pointed to my future with Oliver. But then what was Jack's role? Since I couldn't possibly begin to figure everything out in the next few minutes I physically shook my head and turned towards the lavishly carved door at the other end of the hall.

The walls leading to Mimi's door were lined with pictures of her; hundreds ranging from recent modeling shots to posed shots of her in Shirley Temple dresses as a toddler. It felt more like walking to the shrine of some heavily worshipped God than to a teenager's bedroom. Not that anyone would ever think Mimi Force anything shy of a goddess. My throat became dry, even more so as I repeatedly tried to swallow the lump building. I pulled on the turtleneck I wore as if that would help. But it did nothing. There is no reason on earth Mimi Force would want to see me that could be good. Something's wrong and I'm not sure I wanted to know what it is.

As I tapped lightly on the door I suddenly wished someone had at least let me know what condition she's was in after the attack, so I knew what to expect. Flashes of finding Cordelia drained on the floor of our home played vibrantly in my mind. Although I had gotten over her loss awhile ago a new hurt seemed to tug at my chest. Of course! Allegra had never known what had happened to Cordelia. It was as if my new memories and lifeblood from my mother were coming to terms and accepting what the rest of my body already knew.

"Entrée"

She certainly didn't sound weak, here usual playful yet teasing tone not at all getting lost through the thick mahogany door.

"Hey" I stepped in cautiously, "Oliver told me you wanted to see me. How are you feeling?"

"Schuyler, sister."

I tried to laugh, but our usual teasing to the uncomfortable arrangement of my staying in their home wasn't usual a jovial term, more a disgust for a situation we couldn't change.

I looked around the room as I walked over to where she was resting on her window chaise. The room looked the same as always, disorderly and gaudy. Still the nagging feeling that this is where the attack had happened pulled in me. Had someone mentioned that she was attacked in her room? I was sure no one had, still...

"So Schuyler. Did you have a nice little chat with my brother?"

My jaw dropped in disbelief. Is this what she wanted to see me about? She knew what had happened?

Mimi just sat there filing her long red nails; thoroughly enjoying the cat and mouse game she was unraveling with me. She looked nothing like I had prepared myself for. Full of color, full of life; her usual flawless self. In fact for a vampire who had just been viciously attacked by another she looked very sated.

"Look, Mimi..."

Her cruel giggle interrupted me, "Don't squirm Van Alen. It's not like I'm blind. It's not like I haven't' seen this coming for awhile."

"There's nothing between Jack and I."

"Liar!" The words were venom, yet her mouth was still pulled into a pink glossy smile.

"That's why I did it of course."

Her riddles. What is it with this family and cryptic talk? I was too tired to try and decipher crazy Force ramblings.

"Did what?" I crossed my arms and shifted all my weight onto one foot, to show my disinterest in her game. Even throwing a yawn in for dramatic effect.

"Why I brought him back with me of course."

A shadow next to the window moved as she spoke. I stared at the tapestry curtains to see if the wind was blowing them, but they weren't open. There; it moved again. I couldn't make out the shadow, but it was definitely moving and every impulse in body told me this wasn't a good thing.

"Did you really think I had time to vacation, while some little half breed was making the moves on my twin? Please."

"But you were in Dubai with your mom..." I trailed off as I realized how much bigger this whole trap was than I was realizing.

I told Trinity that I was meeting some friends in France and left the second day I got there."

"Mimi your wrong. There's nothing between Jack and I" I could hear the fear in my own voice. It was a natural response to the look in her eyes; her mesmerizing green eyes had turned into a feral emerald. I had never seen Mimi look like this. She was certainly jealous, petty and stubborn, but even when she was on trial for trying to kill me I knew she wasn't capable of it. Now I wasn't so sure about that.

"He was easy to find. He knew I was looking for him."

"Who?"

I didn't really truly want to know the answer, even though I already did. The panic in me had my head throbbing already, making the room spin.

With one final step he stepped from the shadows. A face I knew too well.

"Kingsley."

Mimi Smiled at him with the gleeful grin of a child with a new toy. Making the contrast of the psychotic look in her eyes and innocent look on her mouth; into something sadistic. Kingsley eyes mirrored her animal glow. Slowly I understood; although I didn't want too.

"Hello love." He drawled with an accent that sent chills through me. I had voluntarily walked into his whole set up. A trap set up for the sole purpose of destroying me.

Scream Schuyler, Scream for Oliver, scream for Jack. But no sound would come out.

The two seemed satisfied with my reaction and laughed.

"Yes Schuyler dear, I brought Kingsley back with me and asked him to turn me. I 'm such a coward on my own. I needed a little nudge. But after tasting my Kingsley here, I see the draw." She walked over to the leather clad man that hadn't taken his eyes off me and licked his cheek, letting her whole body tremble.

I found my voice just enough to appeal to any glimmer of the old Mimi Force that was still inside her, "Don't you realize what you've done? Become?"

"Yes! It's exhilarating, you should try it. Vampire blood is like a fine cabernet...after all those years of drinking Kool-aid. And the buzz after" Her whole body trembled again."

"What about Jack?"

"What do you mean?"

She fawned over her evil power source like a new pet; a private show; their hands all over one another. I started to understand her "buzz".

"He won't want you like this."

I motioned at what she had become, but she seemed oblivious to my accusations.

"Well, after we drain every tainted drop of the half human sludge from your body, he will be next. One of us, all powerful, all glorious. Jack would never resist me...or power." She laughed and I hated to admit but she could be right. My stomach turned even more at the thought of Jack becoming like this. The last wrench on my empty insides sent a dry heave shooting through my body.

"But first you Sky."

I stepped back as she walked powerfully towards me, my body weak from the heaving tremors. After only three steps my back hit against the closed door behind me. Impossible to be opened and escape, she was in front of me; as close as her twin had been only moments ago.

"Oh you stupid half breed. If you'd only rode off into the sunset with your pathetic red blood. You're as sad as your mother."

Her hands began to lightly trail down my arms; teasing and playing with me as she did with the grinning vampire behind her.

And then the pain!


	13. Chapter 14

My whole body burned from the inside outside, as Mimi's attack turned from a shrill pain to an torturous burning.I could feel every drop she took mercilessly from me Behind my tightly shut eyelids I could feel only flames lapping up this life; searing my eyes. I couldn't speak or yell for help; not that anyone would hear me anyways. AS the sensation became too much a slow, steady throb began in my head and I knew soon it would stop and this existence would be over. The most I could do was give up and wait. The cackling sound of the silver blood behind her waiting his turn just drove the pain in harder.

Thud thud thud

the throbbing in my head was unbearable.

Thud thud thud

"Do you hear that?" Mimi sharply withdrew her teeth from depp inside my skin making the heat cease instantly and and I was aware of the cold stream of blood flowing from my neck. I cautiously opened one eye to see what was happening. On my shoulder long, manicured nails still held a firm grip on me, but Mimi was turned away from me, talking to Kingsley.

Thud, thud thud.

"Madeline!"

On the other side of the door it was Jack; knocking.

"Damn it!" Kingsley cursed at the door and pushed Mimi roughly to the side of him and violently tossed me against her and out of the way of the door. I hit the hardwood floors like a rag doll. Without the support of the cold door against my back; I was weak. Pulling up to sitting was impossible, so I just stayed down. Next to me Mimi huffed as she brushed at her wrinkled skirt. I wanted to scoot far away from her; on just the other side of the room was an open window; if only I could move; if only. The pounding continued through the other side of the door as Jack grew more impatient for his sister's response.

"Open it, now! I need to talk to you."

"Have you never heard patience is a virtue mate?"

With my face flat against the floor I forced open my stinging eyes to try to see what was happening. Through straggly black hairs that were strewn over my face I could see a shocked Jack greeted at the door by an annoyed Kingsley.

"What are you doing here?"

"Someone invited me."

Kingsley grandly swung his arm around to gesture towards his blond accomplice who had by now managed to pull herself onto her chaise and strike a dramatically seductive pose. Which perhaps might have had an elegant effect except for the blue streaks that had dripped from her mouth and stained her chin, matched by the thick blue stains on her sleeves.

"Mimi?"

Jack pushed past Kingsley and went to straight to the girl that I had seen him look at with unmatched adoration for years; that he had always looked at with an unnatural longing. But this time his large green eyes stared at her with something I had never seen before; pity.

"Hello, _brother_."

Mimi Force crossed her legs and emphasized the word as if it were a pair of thrift store shoes.

"What is this? What are you? And why is he here." Jack stuck a shaking finger out towards Kingsley.

Who just laughed in response.

"Well," she flicked at her nails and answered as if she was giving a coffee order," he is here because I needed his help. I am finally coming to discover who I am and what I should have been all along. And THIS , she looked down at the rich blue on her clothes and sniffed at it with a disgusted look, " this is an immortal mistake in the eternal blue blood gene pool. This is ridding the world of worthless half breeds."

Jack stuck out his fingers to touch the stain, but pulled sharply back before making contact.

"This is Schuyler's?"

It was the first time he had even realized I was in the room, and was instantly fell to the floor by my side.

"Schuyler? Schuyler?" Jack picked up my head just like I had seen in all those cheesy romance movies.

Every ounce of me wanted to say something, even just nod to him for acknowledgement, but the most I could do was finally allow my eyelids to fall closed.

"How could you?"

I listened to the voices around me.

"This is all you ever wanted Benjamin..." Mimi's voice was coming closer.

"Us together for eternity. All powerful. No more cycles, no more faded memories, no more twins; just you and I together forever..."

It seemed like eternity before anyone said anything. My eyes refused to reopen so I just waited for whatever fate was to come.

"Madeline...."

Jack's answer was broken by another pounding at the door. I could feel his body shift to look as he still had a hold of my head without even realizing.

"Bloody hell!" Kingsley shouted and threw something against the wall just as the door clicked open; I wasn't sure who had opened.

"Hey, I'm sorry to bother you. I know this is a bad time. I was just looking for Schuyler, have you seen her?"

It was Oliver. The sound of his small voice drifted to me from the door like ammonia smelling salts; reviving my strength for one word,

"Oliver..."

I pleaded, but was sure there was no way he would hear me.

"Sky?"

Peeling my eyelids back was excruciating but I needed to see him. He ran to my side, throwing Jacks' hands off me so that he could cradle my head. His hands were much warmer and gentler than Jack's and I melted into him.

"God Sky! What happened? Who did this?"

I had never heard my best friend sound so panicked so out of control before.

Before another thought could even appear in my head Kingsley was next to us, kneeling only inches from my my other senses seemed to be failing me; his scent was unbearable; he smelled metallic and dirty and like....death. Around my shoulders Oliver's grip tightened.

"You." he hissed only causing Kingsley to grin.

"Me mate. Yes, yes, but see you interrupted my fun and even though you're just a gulp of watered down juice. I suppose I could tolerate you after I finish my fine wine."

He winked at me; the wine.

"Schuyler."

Oliver looked at me; ignoring the situation and the demented hell bent silver blood only inches from our faces.

He leaned down to my ear and whispered, "Kiss me Schuyler NOW!"

Even though every part of my body and mind resisted any attempt I made to get it to function; my brain instantly understood; we had to glimpse.


	14. Chapter 15

Oliver's mouth fell on mine with more speed than passion. Desperation was the only driving emotion; voiding any possible romantic meaning a kiss between us could have right now. All around us were voices. Mimi's was in full swing seductress mode trying to convince Jack. While Kinglsey was madly cursing at various objects in the room that had served as 's voice was yelling but still the softest; he was yelling at Oliver and I, but we were slipping away; thankfully. As Oliver's mouth moved with mine; in our sorted escape plan, the myriad of voices became replaced by cheery chirping int he distance. The deep chime of Mimi's grandfather clock wastransofrmed into the gentle, harmonious tune from the breeze on a windchime. The pain in my neck even seemed to disappear as if a bad memory. As we broke apart and opened slowly dares to open our eyes; my hand reached up to touch the spot that should be throbbing infresh pain; whereMimi had torn into my flesh; but the gaping holes were just smooth, cool skin; not even a scar.

"Schuyler, we're back."

It took a minute for my mind to process our new surroundings. And to realize we weren't in danger anymore, in fact we were in the opposite we were in the heaven of Alexandra's front porch. The air was warm and sothing, not at all deterred by the few lazy clouds drifting through the ocean blue sky. All around the house were trees swaying in one chorus line motion led by the gentle breeze. Wind chimes lined the porch; a classic southern covered porch. When Oliver and I had kissed we just wanted to glimpse and get away from Mimi's room and the murderous vampires, but being here elicited pure happiness and peace. If only we could stay forever and not for the taunting brief periods we were allowed.

I grabbed ahold of Oliver's hand I squeezed lightly, scared to ever lose even one piece of my magical world.

As we started to pull ourselves up off the weather-worn porch boards a rhythmic thumping sound of wood hitting the ground came from the far corner.

"Gresha!"

I exclaimed recognizing the complete opposite of the girl that was Bliss' sulky little sister in our real life.

"Marina, Gallian!"

Even though those weren't our names; at least not in this life, I liked hearing her calls us that. Oliver even seemed to smile at the exotic sound of Gallian.

"I have been waiting for you. We only have a short amount of time. You are so weak dear Marina, but thankfully the bond between you two is stronger than the silver bloods curse. You would never have been able to manage such a difficult glimpse if it were not so."

I looked next to me and watched Oliver blush, but inside I was trying hard to push back the guilt I still felt from kissing Jack earlier; for feeling anything with Jack earlier.

"You will have to go back soon, but you have to change things. You have to be stronger than the Silver bloods. "

"That's impossible; nothing's stronger than the silver bloods." Oliver countered her instantly.

Gresha just kept rocking as she stared far off into the endless fields that surrounded the simple farm house.

"Nothing yet, you're right. But until now never has one of the first pure archangels blood ran with the blood of such a powerful halfling."

"Who her?" He asked shocked.

I smacked Oliver on the shoulder,out of habit, but he was right.

Sure, in the cartoons and movies all the geeky, weaklings got superpowers and became big heroes, but this was me. I was never meant to be anything more than a half blood and a scrawny, plain one at that.

"True Marina, you do have mortal blood running through your veins, but that is one of the most sovereign life forces in the world. Human emotions are unrelenting and have done incredible things throughout history; love fear, anger, honor; all powerful forces! You also have angel blood and one of the most prevailing blue blood lines coursing through you; together all three make a potent combination, ther is just one...last...thing."

"What could possibly be left? I couldn't be more of a mutt if I tried." Gresha tried to make my DNA cocktail sound impressive but to me it sounded like a muddled mess of leftovers.

By now I had hopelessly flopped my body into one the empty white rockers and was beginning to wonder if this cherub faced girl was a actually going to help or not.

I had expected Oliver to have laughed her into a hole by now, but he was still listening, sliding into thempty chair right on the other side of her ; his face focused intently

"A pure blood."

"A what?" I asked him, even though he had said it to Gresha not me.

"Exactly Gallian; the immortal. The one and only that can stop a silver blood."

They were both smiling at this point and I was frustrated to be so out of the loop.

"There is no such thing as a pure blood. There are red bloods, blue bloods and silver bloods. But no pure bloods. What the hell are you two talking about?"

Oliver was talking to no one in particular, " A pure blood..I never knew they did or would actually exsist... A pure blood. She's it."

Gresha stood up now and made her way towards me, although I was looking at her face I could almost swear her feet weren't moving.

"You are Marina. You are the one. The one who if the silver bloods were to taste one drop of your powerful blood it would burn the evil coursing through them; light it on fire and torture them inside out, like acid. "

"See, that's where you're wrong. They have already had a pretty good taste of my blood and it didn't do a damn thing to them, in fact, by the way the were sucking me dry, I'd say they kinda enjoyed it."

At this point I didn't care how evident the irritation in my voice came out ; I need real answers and this didn't sound like one. I had expected to come here and learn a magical curse or be donned with all sorts of cool weapon. Anything! Except wishful thinking that Schuyler Van Alen in all her goth glory was going to overpower the Silver bloods with a new unheard of blood type.

"Sky, it's sort of like a recipe,"

Oliver walked over to my chair and knelt down next to me grabbing my hands , which only caused a passionate distraction,

"Marina my love..." he started to kiss slowly up the inside of my arm and I had no intention of stopping him. In this world we were lovers and every touch brought an unquenched desire that was pure pleasure, but we couldn't touch now. He was beginning to tell me something I knew I needed to hear. And although I doubted anything could be more important than that feeling of his mouth seering my skin, he had to finish. Against every screaming hormone in my body I pulled my arm away.

"A recipe?"

Oliver shook his head, as if pulled out of a trance.

"You have the mix of blood that has never been before and only one more blood will make it pure."

"How do you know this Oliver?"

"I'm not really sure. I may have read it somewhere or someone told me. It seems like I've just always known this; like a dusty file in the back of my brain." His face scrunched up like it always did when he was trying hard to think of something or else when he had a stomach ache.

"The line of conduits in your family goes back very far." Gresha informed him with a look of deep respect in her eyes.

My hands suddenly began to shake, "Ollie." I called to him, knowing that this signaled our glimpse was coming to an end.

"Quickly, how do I become a pure blood? Tell me."

Oliver grabbed a hold of me and pulled me close to him, not a part of our bodies were left unconnected and the desire was intense and unrelentless. Focusing on the task at hand proved almost impossible with a lust than made me dizzy.

"Marina, my love, you have to have my blood, you have to take more than you ever have."

"But I have taken blood from you before,"

I couldn't help but kiss along his jaw as I spoke. Only making his speech more forced, words falling out on raspy exhales.

"That was before you had Allegra's strength in you, this time you must take more; too much. Stop on the brink of life."

His hands fell to my hips and glided up and down as my head fell back and his mouth closed on the nape of my neck, I could hear his laboring breath resound in my ears.

"I can't do that. What if I kill you?"

"It's the only way my love. Take my blood."

This felt like deja vu from the visit with my mother in the hospital only days earlier. I couldn't take Oliver's blood and mostly likely his life too.

My head was now throbbing while the shaking increased; time was running out.

"You must my Marina . I trust you, you won't kill me. But you must take it now or else we will go back to silver bloods and have no defense."

He was right; there was no choice here. They would kill him and me as soon as we returned. With one last chaste kiss against his molten lips I let my head fall to his shoulder, plunging my teeth through his skin. Gallian's fingers grabbed tightly a hold of my hair as I began to suck.

"Yes marina, yes." He encouraged me.

"Mora Marina!" Gresha shouted as the porch and the trees began to fade.

The dark sconce lit walls of Mimi's room came into view out of the corner of my eyes. The grip that Oliver had on me slowly lessened, until his hand fell away completely. I could feel the tears fall from my eyes and mix with his own warm blood that spilled out on his neck as I fed at a greedy pace.I knew his life was almost gone and with one last deep swallow I released him.

Oliver's cold, ashy body fell to the floor the moment I released him. I couldn't bear to look at Oliver; I knew I had taken too much. He wasn't moving and I was sure he wasn't breathing. Mimi, Jack and Kingsley stood next to us; in the same position we had left them in.

"What the..?"

Jack eacthed Oliver's messy brown hair splay across his foot as he hit the ground. Mimi and Kingsley,; stopped arguing to observe the scene.

"Schuyler Van Alen, what did you do?"

Mimi looked completely confused, but Kinglsey just smirked.

"One last act. It'll do the world good to off you; you're as heartless as they say I am. Offing your best friend just to try to regain a little strength. I'm afraid though, love, it won't do much good."

The look of disgust coming from Kingsley of all people was enough to make the the gnawing pain in my stomach turn into guilt induced dry heaves. I closed my eyes and tried to feel some change inside of me. Some power or strength or illumination, sprouting wings; anything! But I still felt the same. I kicked out my pale chicken legs and looked at my white gangly arms. Gresha had been wrong and I had killed my best friend. Maybe Kingsley was right, maybe the world would be better off without me.

"Mimi, darling, would you do the honors?" Kingsley again put on his fake debutante act.

Mimi's eyes sparked a greedy green as I could see the life she had already taken from me was tainting her, still beautiful and the picture of Manhattan heiress, but she was almost unrecognizable in her animalistic lust for immortality.

I just waited on the floor next to the body that had only moments ago been a burning passion against me. I welcomed the punishment Mimi knelt down next to me and licked her shiny pink lips.

Just as I felt her chilled hand touch my chin, a strong arm through itself protectively around me; pulling me back away from her. It was Jack and he growled at his twin sister,

"No!"


	15. Chapter 16

A/N I know many are disappoitned int he ending and aloought it's what I wanted to happen it was sort of rushed. I lost interest in this story awhile back and then became totally disheartened witht he whole series after reading Revelations ( I thought it was horrible!) But I felt I needed to end this at the very least.

Jack's outstretched arms provided a shield between the silver bloods and me and Oliver.

"Oliver!"

I turned around to check on his body lifeless on the floor beside me.

"Oliver, I'm sorry. Please."

Kingsley was right! I should die; I had killed my best friend and it had been so effortless. The thought made me nauseas.

"Jack move now!" I heard Mimi scream; half pleading half threatening.

But the strong body that was the only separation between me and an end that had already begun didn't flinch.

"This isn't you Madeline," his voice was calm. "I know you're still in there somewhere."

"This is me!" She hissed back, stepping closer to her twin.

Instinctively I put myself around Oliver as if I could protect him from something. In truth, I was the one he needed to be protected from.

The crashing sound made my head look up; Jack's body was no longer in front of me; we were unprotected and he was gone. Mimi crouched down frozen to where her lover had just been. Her delicate hands held up in mid air; mid throw. Following her line of sight I saw Jack, twisted in an unnatural way against the far wall. A heavy antique bookcase had loosened on impact and spilled itself and it's contents on top of his now broken body.

Inside me I could feel the breath I didn't need catch in my throat. Inside of me my body was protesting; shocked at all the destruction and around me. .My heart and my throat tightened in unison.

"Abaddon!"

Mimi finally willed her body to move and was next to him in a flash. Her voice no longer was laced with bloodlust and as she held his lifeless head in her freshly scratched arms the savage look in her eyes was gone; replaced by the look of a lost child. The shock of what she had done to Jack released the vicious hold Kingsley had wound in her mind. I watched for some sign of movement from Jack and wished the same for the battered body I held in my arms - letting my trembling fingers trace over the now scabbed over holes on Oliver's neck. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Jack's hand twitch and Mimi quickly picked it up, bringing to her mouth to kiss.

But just as suddenly the relief passed. I could feel someone next to me; someone that it had been a mistake to momentarily forget was in the room. Kingsley's face looked at war with itself; pleasure was obvious, at the carnage he had been entertained with thus far, but his eyes begged for more and it made my whole body go numb. Jack was gone, Mimi was no longer a threat but she certainly wasn't a help either.

"Now it's just us pet."

My body was screaming in panic; move, jump out the window, close your eyes, anything! No part of me would obey. The blood inside my body raced at a burning speed; for once in my life I felt warm, Like fire was racing through my veins; I held up my hands in front of me, but nothing looked different. It wsa on the inside I could feel it. An intensity so strong my blood felt as if it would melt right through my skin.

With his fist Kingsley grabbed my hair and yanked me up.

From the other side of the room Jack's voice came faint, but determined against this monster,

" No!"

But Kinglsey just laughed at him. Mimi stood up and walked towards us, joining the fight with her brother,

"Stop Kingsley! You can't do this!"

"Weak bitch!"

With his free hand he sent Mimi to the ground with a resounding smack across her porcelain face, She held her cheek and glare angrily at the one person she was willing to kill for only moments ago. Through her eye liner smudged eyes I could see the flash of the angel of death that she was. Power threatening to explode from her as she tightly her clenched fists. But behind Azreal was Abaddon broken and in need of her. The choice in her face was painfull to look at; she wanted with every bit of her immortal soul to fight, but her heart begged for her to take care of Jack.

Everything was playing out in slow motion before me. I could see not only the carnage that was present, but I could see the past: finding Cordelia lying on the floor after the attack, hearing about Aggie's death that night outside the bank. And then of the future; beyond the doors to this room the committee and their families gathered. After he finished in here, surely the silverblood would move into their- the slayings would be massive. Possibly, he wasn't alone. I tried to listen for any sound outside the door; was anyone still alive out there? Was everyone already dead? Or did they even have a clue what was happening in here while the drank their ten thousand dollar bottles of wine and imported priceless cavier. I heard nothing.

This monster had and would continue to do too much damage. I wrapped my hand around his wrist and dug my nails in; forcing him to release my hair with a sharp growl.

"Ahhh!"

He screamed as his eyes glazed over in pitch blackness.

"You want me! Have me! " I screamed, "You are the weak one! You are the one that needs us. So go ahead then, feed from me!"

The challenge was spat from a voice I didn't recognize, stronger than my own yet it came from my mouth. I looked back at my faithful friend; the one thing I needed in this world and grew impatient to leave this world. I looked over at the twins hanging onto one another in awe of the scene around them. Even covered in blood and fear they still looked like the angelic beings they were; only their eyes gave hint to the darkness in their existence.

"Do it!"

I flung myself up at him, no longer willing to wait for him to snap out of his shock from my sudden lack of coward.

He wasted no time. His fingers dug into my arms as his teeth found their target at my neck. Squeezing my eyes tight I braced for the pain; the piercing, the life draining from me. But I felt nothing. In fact I felt...good; warm, peaceful, comforted. Slowly daring to open my eyes I no longer saw that dark shatters of Mimi Force's bedroom but a towering tree lined field. It was dark, but lit up brightly from a star filled night sky.

"Schuyler."

A voice that I was scared to recognize was behind me. Turning around he was standing just a foot away from me. His carefree brown hair falling over his shining hazel eyes, more alight than I had ever seen them. Not a mark on his body.

"Oliver?"

I hesitated; my mind was surely playing tricks on me.

"It's me."

He didn't wait for me to step forward to him. Instead with one determined step he wrapped his warm arms around me and I instantly melted. I was in his arms again and it felt like the softest, warmest blanket I had ever wrapped up in

"What happened? Am I...dead?"

The word didn't want to come off my tongue.

"No."

He just smiled as another strange, sweet voice from behind me answered before he could.

"Mother?"

Of all the times I dreamt of her finally awake; it paled at the reality of her glowing smile; her presence was like being near a star.

"Schuyler, my angel. You are neither here nor there."

"Like limbo?"

I didn't understand.

"It's your body adjusting to the change. You have escaped here with us."

"The change? So I am daydreaming then."

My heart sunk at the knowledge that this wasn't real.

"No, this is real." She assured me.

"You are glimpsing."

That new voice I recognized, but it still caught me off guard.

"Bliss?"

She walked up next to my mother, her arm linked in Dylan's. She smiled sweetly at both of them, her red hair blowing gently in the night breeze.

"Glimpsing?" I hesitated.

As I looked around at my surroundings I knew this place. It was the field that Oliver and I had first glimpsed into. In the distance I could see the faint glow of the front porch light from the farmhouse.

Turning back to face the circle of people I loved, more had joined now. Gresha was there , alongside Alexandra.

"Am I here to stay?"

The words fell softly from my lips as I wasn't sure I wanted to hear the answer. I belonged here with them. I didn't want to go back. Here I was able to talk to my mother and I had missed Bliss since she had left. But more than anything, it was Oliver I couldn't leave - I couldn't go back and face what I had done to him. He was alive here. Breaking through my thoughts I felt a hand slide into mine.

"Marina. This is your future. We are waiting here for you. But first you have to go finish what you started then you will join us if you choose. This future can never happen if you don't stop the dark force threatening our existence. "

His hand touching mine caused my knees to buckle and my throat to feel parched. He could never let go of me; I would die without this touch.

"Gallian."

My hand came up to his soft skin as I rubbed my fingertips across his face, to which he responded by closeing his eyes and kissing my palm.

"Finish it my love and come back to me."

"No!"I cried.

He dropped my hand. Around me everything started blurring in and out. Where the skyscraping pine trees touched the sky there now stood a hand carved king sized Victorian canopy bed.

This hurt more than anything the silverblood had done to me that night.

As the room began to come into more complete focus I saw the dark scene that I had left and didn't want to return to. Splintered furniture and strewn bodies. But I was also aware that I was pinned to the ground;

Kingsley!

I felt the fire inside of me blaze in an overpowering determination. The power of everyone I loved in thefield gave me a new strength, so powerful it frightened me. The vampire sharply drew back from me, liked he had been burnt. With dark blood falling from his mouth he looked at me in confusion.

"What was that?"

Wiping his mouth with the cuff of his jacket he began to cough. I watched as his body erupted into a violent coughing fit. Through the attack he contiued grabbing at me; his hands ripping my skin , but his strengthand speed were gone He fell onto the floor and grabbed at his throat, no longer coughing but instead choking. Still lying on the floor I crawled to Oliver's body and pulled him over to where Jack and Mimi were huddled in the corner. Mimi's usual instinct to fight was weakened by her need to take care of her lover. We sat wide eyed and watched as Kingsley flailed across the floor. Blood continued pouring from his mouth; soaking the Persian rug with a thick black liquid.

"What are you?"

He managed his voice barely audible as his face was thin; with visible veins running all over it and gaunt.

I looked down at Oliver, the sacrifice that made what I now was; touching his face I answered, "In me runs pure blood."

"Pure bloods don't exist."

He spat up more blood while holding his stomach convulsing on the floor.

"Then what is burning you up from the inside out?"

I couldn't help but feel a satisfaction at the agony of his death. At times I covered my head. Jack played the protector well, hiding both Mimi's and my head in his arms as the last gruesome images of the silverblood disintegrated.

My body felt alive, I stood up and looked at the stain that was all that was left of him. Mimi helped Jack to stand and came up behind me.

"Schuyler I-"

She couldn't seem to find the words,

"I know."

Jack looked at me. His eyes looked tired, but he was going to be alright.

"You aren't staying are you?"

I couldn't help but smile thinking of what was waiting for me. I closed my eyes and pictured the field. It was daytime once again; the sun was bright and strong in the sea blue sky. In the field everyone was laughing and playing and eating. More people were there now; including a man I had never seen before, but recognized instantly.

"Dad?"

I whispered as the scene waned slightly.

With a big anticipating sigh I opened my eyes and smiled, "No, my future's waiting for me."

THE END...or maybe THE BEGINNING...


End file.
